This article is the fourth of four in a series. 1 The Worker | 2 The Work | 3 God’s Way
SERIES INTRODUCTION
Leaders must be led. Maybe you have never thought of it this simply. But just as an athlete needs an example and usually a mentor, we need the same as those who would be leaders in the world, and especially if we would lead with Jesus in our hearts and on our lips. We do not learn righteousness in a vacuum, for without spiritual training, we would always default to sin. So as leaders, even while we lead, we look for more insight and help from those who lead us. And as Christian leaders, this means we namely look to Christ and his word.
This is the intent of this series, for which we are much indebted to the work of Eric J. Alexander in a chapter in his book, Our Great God and Saviour. The chapter, “God’s Fellow Workers,” outlines four laws of Christian service. Our short articles will take up each of these four laws and move us toward leading with more understanding and more blessing each day.
(5-minute reading time)
GODLY LEADERS: THE REWARD
Let’s start our final article in this series about godly leadership by asking a couple of questions: What motivates your work? And, how willing would you be to do your work without this motivation?
It’s true that almost always we want a payoff for our work, even if that payoff is simply the satisfaction of a job well done. No one is going to hand you a paycheck for pulling those weeds and plucking those deadheads from your front garden, but you might get an attaboy from a passing neighbor, and you’ll certainly be able to sit back this evening and think about how much better the yard looks.
But should we be as concerned about rewards for our work when the work we are doing is for the Lord? This seems a bit greasy. Like wondering why your three-year-old didn’t buy you a nice birthday gift after all you’ve done for her this year. So much for just loving her for love’s sake.
Surprisingly, though, Scripture speaks of rewards for good work, both in this life and the next. In the Old Testament, Psalms and Proverbs are filled with promises of blessing for those who follow the way of God’s righteousness. These were earthly blessings, including finances and family. The world, of course, is tainted by sin, so the blessings of this life are tenuous and temporary. Thankfully, God gives us even greater motivation for the life to come.
In his Parable of the Minas (Luke 19), Jesus spoke of ten servants who were given assets to manage by their employer, who then went away to be made king. When he returned, the king reviewed the work of his charges, rewarding those whose work was faithful. This is a kingdom parable, told in the context of Jesus’ time, but meant for ongoing application. The servants who worked with effort and integrity were told that their work was “well done.” Generations of God’s best teachers have encouraged God’s people to work with this motivation in mind—that we would hear our king say to us in the end, “Well done!”
In a similar fashion, the apostle Paul wrote of the way our work would be revealed for what it is. He chose building on the foundation of Christ as his metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3:
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
Fire, we know, makes gold, silver, and precious stones all the more pure, while it consumes wood, hay, or straw. This should compel us to do the best we can when we serve the Lord. We are not all gifted in the same way or skilled to the same degree, but we all have the opportunity to demonstrate the most important ingredient in working for the Lord and attaining reward for that work: faithfulness.
FAITHFULNESS
In Scripture, the idea of faithfulness comes with multi-layered meaning, including both trustworthiness and perseverance. Can we be counted on to do things in a way that represents the king’s heart, and can we be counted on over the long haul, come what may?
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul wrote of being an ambassador of Christ. As you know, ambassadors are representatives, not independent operators. They are expected to function as the king or president or prime minister would, were he or she on the scene. This is never an error-free proposition, especially since some decisions must be made quickly. But if ambassadors have spent intentional time learning the ways and interests of the ruler they represent, they are far more likely to take the right action in representing the ruler and the nation.
As leaders who represent Christ, we must always be seeking to know more and more of him. We spend time reading the Scriptures, and especially the Gospels, so we touch up against the heart of our King. As we reflect meditatively on what we read there, and as we ask in prayer for empowerment to live as Christ lived, Jesus himself builds into us the trustworthiness that we want to exhibit for his glory. He starts by making us trustworthy in small things; then he gives us more and more, knowing we can be counted on to live and work as his beloved children.
Second, we want to show that we are faithful over time. In the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, we read that they will be rewarded if they “overcome.” The Greek can be alternatively translated as “conquer” or “be victorious.” We must be careful, because in our 21st Century success-minded thinking, we can read this to mean that we must do notable works. But one definition of the Greek here is this: “Of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions.” There’s not much look of success there! What it does give us, however, is a picture of persevering faithfulness. Those who will be rewarded in eternity are those who are undefeated despite the setbacks they encounter.
Those who would be leaders are often plucked out of the crowd because of their “vision.” They think with the big picture in mind and present dreams as though they are reality (which they very often become). But as leaders in Christ, the big picture has already been painted for us. We are the men and women in it, not caring that many days our work looks small. In God’s economy, faithfulness is not measured by the size of the task—a one-to-one conversation can have as much eternal value as a large-scale evangelistic rally. Instead, we will be rewarded for our faithfulness in efforts of all sizes.
We opened this article with two questions. Let’s close with two more: What work has God given you to do today, maybe even this hour? And, are you attentive to that work as a trustworthy ambassador of Christ? These are questions that can guide you well both as you follow Jesus and lead others. They are questions that can lead you to a faithful life, lived one meaningful day at a time.